The Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) has elected five new members to its board of directors for the 2022-2024 term: Karl Fillip II, CEO, Novo Health Services, LLC, Atlanta, GA; John Hopper, Director of Operations, ImageFirst Healthcare Laundry Specialists, King of Prussia, PA; Timothy A. Sulecki, President, Energenics Corporation, MaxAssure Inc, Naples, FL; Kelly Zabriskie, Enterprise Vice President of Infection Prevention, Jefferson Health, Philadelphia, PA; Christine Zirges, DNP, APRN-BC, CIC, FAPIC, Corporate Director Infection Prevention, SSM Health, St. Louis, MO.
HLAC is the nonprofit organization that inspects and accredits laundries processing textiles for hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities. HLAC’s voluntary board of directors comprises a cross section of objective experts with experience in infection prevention, environmental services, laundry operations and government inspection.
Fillip (representing Class 1, textile maintenance companies) has been with Novo since 2016 and has served as the company’s president and chief operating officer, most recently being named CEO on Nov. 1, 2021.
Hopper (also Class 1) has more than 30 years of laundry experience in the healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets. He has extensive experience in healthcare laundry operations, having served in various positions including, plant manager, general manager, and director of operations in multiple laundry plants.
Sulecki (representing Class 2, laundry industry suppliers) has 15 years of experience in the manufacture of ancillary products related to the processing of healthcare textiles. This experience includes development of processes and products that simultaneously promote both the disinfection and processing goals of healthcare linen providers.
Zabriskie (representing Class 3, infection control) has more than 17 years in infection prevention and is currently in charge of overseeing infection prevention programs in 14 hospitals, 8 urgent care centers, 2 ambulatory surgical centers, 1 rehab center and numerous outpatient practices. She has also been a director of environmental services.
Zirges (also Class 3), with a background as a trauma/critical care nurse, has for 10 years been responsible for the management and oversite of SSM Health’s network infection program and activities in the St. Louis area. She also has extensive and wide-ranging board and committee experience, including with the Certification Board of Infection Control (CBIC) and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control & Epidemiology (APIC).
“We’re proud to be able to bring this great variety and wealth of knowledge, talent and experience to HLAC’s board,” said Rocco Romeo, HLAC president-elect, who will assume the duties of board president on Jan. 1, 2022. “We look forward to their participation in helping the organization to continue to grow in the years ahead.”
HLAC board members whose terms end Dec. 31, 2021, are Charles Berge, Shared Hospital Services, Portsmouth, VA; Gregory Gicewicz, Sterile Surgical Systems, Tumwater, WA; and Myles J. Noel, Ft. Myers, FL.
